A recently opened subway line connecting Tokyo's popular Shibuya area with Wako City in Saitama Prefecture has made it more convenient to get around Tokyo!
 Tokyo Metro Co.'s Fukutoshin Line is named for its route through Tokyo's major fukutoshin neighborhoods (secondary city centers).
Three of these areas along the line, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, are famous hubs of fashion and nightlife. Express trains on the new subway travel from Ikebukuro to Shibuya in just 11 minutes. The Fukutoshin Line is expected to ease congestion, but it offers much more!
The new Shibuya Station is especially impressive. Designed by well-known architect Tadao Ando, it features an oval shape that resembles a spaceship. The cutting-edge design is impressive, but the station also boasts advanced environmental features, like natural ventilation that brings in air from the outside and eliminates the need for electric fans. It also helps to reduce costs and CO2 emissions. All Fukutoshin Line stations are equipped with escalators and elevators, making them accessible and welcoming to everyone. These approaches to cutting-edge designs and environmental efforts were handled by Tokyu Corporation.
The three newly created stations on the line have been gaining attention as undiscovered shopping and dining destinations that were not easily accessible before the subway was built. A ride on the new Fukutoshin Line is a great way to discover fresh and exciting destinations in Tokyo. |
 Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service , Spirited Away - people all over the world have seen and been fascinated by these animation classics. Created by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, these anime have become pop-culture icons and jewels of the Japanese film industry.
If you would like to learn more about the world of Studio Ghibli, head for the Ghibli Museum,Mitaka, located in western Tokyo! The museum is produced by Hayao Miyazaki himself and features exhibits on the animation work of Studio Ghibli.
 Currently showing until May 2009 is an exhibition called "Petit Louvre." The Louvre in Paris is, of course, the world's most visited art museum. As the show's title suggests, the Ghibli Museum is hosting a small Louvre in its own special way. The "Petit Louvre" is designed to give children the opportunity to see and experience history and arts found in the Louvre. All the paintings in the show - mainly French works painted after the 16th century to the 19th century - are shrunk to 40% of their original size and are displayed at a child-friendly height. By exhibiting a sizable collection of major French works from the post-16th-century period in one room, the show allows children to learn about this important period of French painting. Also on display are sculptures and classic ruins or relics columns that express both the bright and dark side of the Louvre's history. The Louvre is over 800 years old, and not all of its history is positive. By showing both sides of the museum's history, the "Petit Louvre" offers a wonderful chance to gain a multi-dimensional perspective of this beloved museum.
Though only a fraction of the size of the original, Ghibli has managed to put its own unique touch to one of the world's great repositories of creativity. Be sure to add the exhibit to your itinerary while visiting Tokyo.
Ticket Information (by reservation only): Please click here!
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